Middle East News

Iran releases ex-official on bail in mass trial

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran released a former vice president on a $700,000 bail Sunday after his lawyer said he had been sentenced to six years in prison in the mass trial of opposition figures accused of fomenting the post-election unrest.

Egypt's president warns Israel over Jerusalem

Iran's Mousavi tells government to end intimidation

By Fredrik Dahl and Hashem Kalantari

Iran begins war games to protect nuclear sites

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran on Sunday began large-scale air defense war games aimed at protecting the country's nuclear facilities against any possible attack, state television reported.

Pakistan troops repulse militant attack

KHAR, Pakistan (AFP) - - Pakistani troops on Sunday repulsed an attack by militants on one of their posts in a lawless tribal region, killing 11 rebels, officials said.

Iran begins war games to protect atom sites

TEHRAN (AFP) - - A commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that air defence forces would "annihilate" Israeli warplanes if they attacked the Islamic republic, as the forces began five days of war games.

Iranian reformer freed on $700,000 bail - report

By Fredrik Dahl and Hashem Kalantari

Former Iran VP released on bail

TEHRAN (AFP) - - Iranian former vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi, who has been sentenced to six years in prison in connection with protests over June's presidential election, has been released on bail, the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday.

Iran launches war games to protect nuclear sites

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's armed forces launched large-scale air defence war games on Sunday to show off the country's deterrence capabilities in the face of pressure from the West over its nuclear programme.

Ahmadinejad heads to nuclear-backers Brazil, Venezuela

TEHRAN (AFP) - - Faced with mounting pressure over his country's atomic ambitions, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left on a five nation tour Sunday, including Brazil in a bid to boost ties with Latin America's biggest economy and a rare backer of Tehran's nuclear programme.

Israeli president to Egypt for talks with Mubarak

JERUSALEM (AFP) - - Israeli President Shimon Peres was heading to Cairo on Sunday for talks with Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak on the troubled Middle East peace talks, his spokeswoman said.

Ahmadinejad leaves for tour including Brazil, Venezuela

TEHRAN (AFP) - - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left Tehran on Sunday for a five nation tour, including Brazil and Venezuela, both supporters of the Islamic republic's controversial nuclear programme.

Israel-Palestinian conflict kills 8,900 in 20yrs: NGO

JERUSALEM (AFP) - - The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has claimed almost 8,900 lives in two decades, the vast majority of them Palestinians, the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said in a statement published on Sunday.

Israeli planes strike targets in Gaza - medics

GAZA STRIP (Reuters) - Israeli planes carried out air strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, injuring five Palestinians, Palestinian medical workers said.

Iraq parliament struggles over elusive vote deal

By Waleed Ibrahim

Separate clashes kill 23 Taliban in Afghanistan

KABUL (AFP) - - Afghan and foreign troops killed 23 Taliban militants in separate operations a day after the president pledged to take responsibility for security in his new five-year term, police said Saturday.

U.S. to drop charges against one Blackwater guard

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Justice Department prosecutors asked a federal judge on Friday to dismiss the charges against one of five Blackwater security guards accused of killing 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in a 2007 shooting in Baghdad.

McCain urges Obama to speed up Afghan decision

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - U.S. Sen.

U.N. panel condemns Iran for post-election crackdown

By Louis Charbonneau